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Local Connection 157Building a Stronger America

Supervision: Full Facts and a Solid Future

When Union leaders dont follow through for their members, it disappoints us all.Report by Frank Spencer, Vice President of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Eastern District and Supervisor for Local Union 157.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It is my duty to explain to you the facts and the

process in which three Local leaders lost their

jobs and vacated their elected oces, and in

which, under the UBC constitution, General

President Douglas McCarron placed Local 157

under my supervision.

First, as supervisor, I assure you: this is tem-

porary.e goal of this process is simple and at the very heart of

what our organization is about: to ensure that members get the

day-to-day representation their dues are paying for. In our trade,

and especial ly our Brotherhood, we trust each other to do our jobs.

Sadly, that trust was violated.

NYC Independent Investigator stumbled on unvisited jobsites.

Jobsite visits are crucial to a Representatives work. ey defendmembers from crooked contractors by ensuring that hiring is

fair, payrolls are honest, benets are paid, work is safe, and more.

In 2003, normal work by NYCs court-appointed Independent Inves-

tigator (I.I.) found arm with perhaps 10 years of payroll and benets

fraud. No union staor member was involved, but the I.I. found al-

most no visits to those jobsites in Local 157 jurisdiction in that time.

In November that year, Council leaders met all Business Repre-

sentatives to review a document, Business Managers and Repre-

sentatives Duties and Responsibilities. It requires that represen-

tatives make a good faith eort to regularly visit all jobs assigned

to them... that Representatives complete daily activity reports and

submit them to their manager each week.In January 2005, Councilleaders sent a written reminder to all Business Managers regarding

this policy, re-emphasizing the reporting requirements and again

providing the necessary forms.

Records showed a failure at job duties and basic attendance.Early in 2007, while investigating another contractor for defrauding

the members, the I.I. found telephone, timesheet, and other records

showing that the Business Manager and two Representatives in

Local 157 had not completed their activity sheets as required; had

not conducted regular jobsite visits during that time; and were not

even at work in their jurisdiction when they reported themselves as

working a regular day (absences that far exceeded allowed leave).

A fourth man had discrepancies, but not beyond his allotted leave. On

November 13, 2007, the I.I. delivered a report to Council executives

documenting Local 157 staattendance from January 15 to October

15, 2007 (with vacation, sick, and other valid leave days removed)Testimony at the UBC supervision hearing indicated the following

William Hanley, 153 work days: 52 unaccounted, 71 le early.

Fred Kennedy, 166 work days: 36 unaccounted, 109 le early.

George Dilacio, 162 work days: 29 unaccounted, 46 le early.

[In other words, in these 9 months, the menbeyond all of their

valid time owere paid to work a combined 481 days, yet could

not account for 117 full days (24%) plus 226 partial days (47%).]

After many meetings, two resigned and one was dismissed

e I.I.s written evidence obligated Council leaders to respond

ey met with each of the accused during the week of November

13, and oered each one a chance to challenge the facts; no decisionor action occurred at that point. Ocials convened on the 17th

andgiven such long-running serious oensesreached a strong

consensus to end the mens employment and have them leave

oce. On Monday the 19th, each man was given an option to resign

within two days. On November 21, Business Manager/Presiden

Hanley and Representative/Financial Secretary Kennedy came in

to Council oces and signed resignation papers. Representative/

Vice President Dilacio did not appear and was dismissed.

UBC General President McCarron was informed. At his request

I reviewed the facts and recommended temporary supervision

pending a hearing; he sent notice of supervision to the Local, dated

November 21. On December 18, a special UBC hearing committee(Western District VP Michael Draper, EST William Halbert, and

UBC Representative John Simmons) held a hearing in NYC. On

January 21, the UBC General Executive Board adopted the hearing

committees report that the supervision was warranted.

New leaders will work for you, not the other way around.

With key Local oces vacant, supervision enables your Loca

Union leaders to restore members trust, and Lawrence DErrico

whose record the I.I. found totally cleanhas a solid team working

for Local 157 now. I look forward to continuing this transition; to

better, hard-working leadership; and, especially, to ending UBC

supervision of your strong, honorable Local as soon as is prudent.


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I have worked with all of these men for many years and sincerelythank VP Spencer and EST Forde for allowing them to assist meat Local 157. I also want to thank Council EST Michael Forde,President Peteromassen and Vice President Denis Sheil for

their ongoing support during this transition.

I am honored to have outstanding members like BrothersPugliese, Ibric, Tuccillo, and Murphy joining me in representingLocal 157. I know my fellow members will give them the samerespect we have always shown to ocers of Local 157.

Work is Strong, and Local 157 Will be Even StrongerBrothers and Sisters, I look forward to working with you andwith the leaders of our membership and our Council to move thisgreat Local forward to an even brighter future. I will be makingongoing reports to keep you fully up to date.

As always, Local 157s doors remain completely open to all. Please

feel free to contact me at any time with any questions or concernsI wish you all continued health and safety.

Fraternally yours,

Lawrence DErricoBusiness Manager, Carpenters Local 157

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am grateful for the opportunity to personally address the mem-bers of Local Union 157 and bring you up to date on what theLocal has been doing since we began supervision by the UnitedBrotherhood of Carpenters.

On November 26th, 2007, I received a letter from UBC GeneralPresident Douglas McCarron informing me that our Local wasbeing placed under UBC supervision with Eastern District VicePresident Frank Spencer as Supervisor; he, in turn, appointedNYC District Council of Carpenters (NYCDCC) Executive Secre-tary-Treasurer (EST) Michael Forde as Assistant Supervisor.

is newsletter is the rst of my ongoing eorts to keep everyoneinformed. Page one is Vice President Spencers report on theocial steps leading to supervision. Page four is a letter from ESTForde on why he is so supportive of Local 157. My reports onthese two pages detail many aspects of Local 157s good health.

LU 157 Veterans Join Staff to Boost Representation EffortsOnce President McCarron imposed the supervision, EST MichaelForde appointed me, Lawrence DErrico, as Business Manager ofLocal 157. e Council also assigned Brothers Anthony Pugliese,Ramadan Rambo Ibric, Richard Tuccillo and Michael Murphyto be our Business Representatives. For those of you who dontknow us, here is some background:

I am a 24-year Local 157 member and have held the electedpositions of Recording Secretary and Council Delegate. I havebeen a Journeyman, Shop Steward, and Foreman, and, for thepast 12 years, a local union Business Representative. I alsoserve as a Labor Trustee for the NYCDCC Benet Funds.

Anthony Pugliese, Local 157, has 33 years as a UBC Journey-man, Steward, Foreman, and, for the past 10 years, a CouncilOrganizer. He is on Community Board 6 in Brooklyn.

Ramadan Rambo Ibric, Local 157, a 22-year member, hasbeen a UBC Journeyman, Foreman, and a Council Organizerfor the past 10 years. He is on Community Board 5 in Queens.

Richard Tuccillo, Local 157, is a 22-year UBC veteran withmore than 10 years as a Council Representative covering tradeshow work, grievance processing, and other duties.

Michael Murphy, Local 608, has 21 years in the Brotherhoodwith the past 6 as a Council Representative. He also works very

closely with our Anti-Corruption Program.

Report to Local 157 Membership fr

We will move this great local forward to an even brighter future.

Dispatch, Stewards, Hours:LU 157s Stats on the RiseData for Nov. 26, 2007 (start ofsupervision) to Jan. 31, 2008:

2,324 members have beendispatched, shaped, orrequested from the Out-of-Work List in our area.

342 of those dispatchedwere Shop Stewards.

Council-wide, more thanwere reported in 2007.

Staff Work: More Regular,Investigative Plan VisitsSince supervision began on

November 26, the Locals newLeadership has made 471Investigative Plan (IP) visitsby the Councils Anti-CorruptionCommittee. Contractors in theInvestigative Plan must be seentwo to four times per week plusone possible monthly check onpayrolls. IP visits are randomdays, night, and weekends. Inaddition to those 471 IP visits,

the new Local Representatives

the regular duties of talking withStewards and members, orga-

nizing, observing and meetingwith contractors, etc.

Finances: Council CoveringBills, Will be ReimbursedSupervision includes oversightpertaining to the local have beenfrozen. Bills are being processed

and paid through the NYCDCC,which will be reimbursed byLocal 157 funds when possible.

Regular Local Union expendi-tures have included Per Capita-

printing and postage; and gen-eral costs such as utilities, etc.

There were two additionaldisbursements:

$500, Ronald McDonald House

$6,000, Sick Donations(15 members, $400 each).

Lawrence DErrico,LU 157 BusinessManager, withour strong newteam of BusinessRepresentatives.L-R: Richard Tuccillo,Michael Murphy,Lawrence DErrico,Anthony Pugliese,and Rambo Ibric.

BY THE NUMBERS, 11/26/07 to 1/31/08


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